This is a Boring Post Without Pictures, because honestly, I couldn't think of any interesting things to do to make a picture of my progress look like anything other than a pathetic little shriveled thing. I think lace KALs are at a disadvantage, don't you? I mean, if you are knitting an aran or fair isle, it looks like Something while you're knitting it. But not lace. Lace looks like a poor beleaguered little pile until you have finished and blocked it and it becomes a swan.

Okay, now that I have the purple prose out of the way, here's my dilemma: I have a thing about the number 9. I want there to be 9 columns of yarn overs on my Icarus. There are 8 (my younger son's favorite number) in the pattern. Do I have enough yarn? I ran out of the first ball four rows shy of the last full repeat of rows 19-42. I suppose I could figure it out mathematically, but where's the fun in that?! ;) I'm using Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud, which has 440 yards per ball, so I have 880 total yards. What do y'all think?

In answer to previous comments:

Miriam wrote that straight needles hurt her wrists. I find myself getting more used to them. With the laceweight, I have it all scrunched down to the tips of the needles. So far, so good. :)

And Miriam and Eva both posted their Alpaca Cloud wrangling tips. Thank you! I've gotten more used to it and haven't been pulling off as much at a time. And I can add in one more tip: it doesn't seem to respond either to swearing or begging.

And Sarah, truer words were never spoken. I also am amazed I have killed neither myself nor anyone else with the straight needles. Yet.

So...Carol in NoVa, when do we get to see your pretty forest green Icarus? Hmmmmmmm? :)

Well, I'm off to try to enable some more victims friends into knitting Icarus. Hee.